Reliever recreates high school photo in MLB clubhouse
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Padres relief pitcher Steven Wilson is a 27-year-old rookie, just making a name for himself in the big leagues. But his experience in a Major League environment stretches back a decade.
Come again?
Like many talented young athletes, Wilson was able to play in a big league ballpark before turning pro. The Rockies have long opened Coors Field for high school games, and Wilson's 2012 squad from Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton, Colo., was one of the fortunate teams.
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When Wilson returned to Coors Field as a Major Leaguer for the Padres' series this weekend, he noticed that the visitors' clubhouse was pretty much the same as the last time he saw it. In fact, there was a TV in the corner, just where he and two high school teammates took a pic way back when.
On Friday, Wilson got Padres teammates Jake Cronenworth and Eric Hosmer to fill in for his high school friends in a photo recreation.
Tyler Kornmann and Nick Silva were the teammates in the original photo, and Wilson dutifully tagged them when he tweeted out the pics.
Wilson was a 35th-round Draft pick of the Phillies out of high school but opted for college ball. That proved wise, as he rose to the eighth round when the Padres selected him in 2018 out of Santa Clara University. He has a 3.60 ERA in 23 appearances this season -- including a perfect inning at Coors Field on Saturday vs. the Rockies.